[Python-Dev] Python vs. chat (conversation with modem)

[Bertram Scharpf]

Hi,

in simple serial communication, I found a problem that
doesn't arise, when I'm doing exactly the same with the
`chat' program.

I admit my hardware is a little bit special and may have
problems itself. It is an ISDN telephone, Elmeg C200d at ta.
With a normal modem, everything works fine.

For a speech call, my telephone wants me to send a command
'at&b30' before dialing (otherwise the modem functionality
is dialing).

When I send the commands with `chat', the device is
dialing, but when I send them from a Python script, the
communication hangs.

My code is (simplified):


class Modem:
    def __init__( self, device = '/dev/ttyS0'):
        self.modem = open( device, 'w+')
        self.command( 'atz')

    def send( self, cmd):
        print >>self.modem, cmd + '\r'

    def expect( self, patt):
        import select
        ...

    def command( self, cmd):
        self.send( cmd)
        self.expect( 'OK')

    def dial_orig( self, nr):
        self.command( 'at&b30')
        # On this request, the modem won't send an answer.
        self.command( 'atdt,%s;h0z' % nr)
        self.command( 'at&b31')

    def dial_chat( self, nr):
        "That's working!?"
        script += [ repr( ''), 'atz',
                    'OK',      r'at\&b30dt,\\T\;h0z',
                    'OK',      r'\\c']
        chatcmd = '/usr/sbin/chat -vs -T %s %s <%s >%s' % \
            (nr, ' '.join( script), self.modem.name, self.modem.name)
        import os
        os.system( chatcmd)

    dial = dial_chat


(The full script is available at
`http://www.bertram-scharpf.de/dial.py'.)

On the 'atz' an answer of 'OK' is sent back, but not on the
'at&b30' request. `chat' receives an OK. Setting the
termcaps exactly to what chat would have chosen didn't help.

I have found this behaviour in the versions 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3.

  $ uname -srmp
  Linux 2.4.18-bs1 i586 unknown

Do I have any chance to find out what happens?

Bertram


-- 
Bertram Scharpf
Stuttgart, Deutschland/Germany
http://www.bertram-scharpf.de